DA chief sets review of regulatory policies
AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has formed a technical working group (TWG) to review and potentially revise the department’s regulatory policies.
Undersecretaries Asis Perez and Alvin John Balagbag were appointed co-chairmen of the working group based on Special Order 753 issued on May 24, 2024.
Tiu Laurel said on Thursday that the working group would examine the results of a comprehensive review conducted earlier by DA regulatory agencies.
The TWG will provide feedback, suggestions and recommended changes, including the repeal and amendment of conflicting and outdated regulations, to streamline the DA’s regulatory policies.
“I created this technical working group to harmonize regulations of various agencies of the DA to promote efficiency, trim red tape, and plug loopholes and clarify ambiguities that could be exploited and abused by unscrupulous individuals,” Tiu Laurel said in a statement.
Regulations to repeal or amend existing rules will then be endorsed by the TWG to the DA Regulatory Clearinghouse System for further review.
“We expect this review process to eventually foster the faster delivery of services to our stakeholders, ease the conduct of business with the DA, as well as facilitate the entry of more investments in agriculture,” Tiu Laurel said.
Perez, meanwhile, said the TWG would actively review numerous regulations, with the process anticipated to last about a year.
He added that one of their goals was to transform the department into an effective regulator and a facilitator for agricultural growth.
“There will be priority regulations to review, those that have far-reaching impacts on the lives and livelihoods of our stakeholders across the agriculture value chain,” he said.